History and Culture: Tell your children the story of the Maccabee victory and the miraculous oil that lasted for eight days instead of just one.

Language: The Hebrew letters on the Dreidel, Nun, Gimmel, Hey and Shin, stand for “Nes Gadol Haya Sham”, which means A Great Miracle Happened There. In Israel, the fourth letter is a “peh”–”a great miracle happened here.” Examine the Hebrew alphabet and discuss the ways in which it differs from the alphabet we use. This is also a good springboard for older children to learn about other systems of writing.

Where Is Baby’s Dreidel?: A Lift-the-Flap Book, by Karen Katz – Katz’s lift-the-flap books are always a hit with toddlers and babies. In this book, baby searches for the dreidel and finds other Chanukkah-related objects along the way.

It’s Hanukkah! – This rhyming translation of a Hebrew children’s song is illustrated by Santiago Cohen. We enjoyed the beautiful and loving family scenes as well as the foil flames on the candles. On each page, a new candle is lit, both accurately showing the tradition of the menorah as well as giving young children counting practice. The lyrics also introduce the name for the center candle (shammash), the letters on the dreidel, and even mentions the Maccabees.

Hanukkah Lights, by David Martin – This little board book describes activities, some traditional others just generically celebratory, for each of the nights of Hannukah. The book is very basic but the menorah, latkes, and Dreidel are all there, along with illustrations of happy, multicultural children. The book is good introduction for babies and young toddlers.

10 Responses to "Edible Dreidel Dessert Craft"

Thank you so much for sharing this Edible Driedel Dessert Craft.
Thanks also for showing various cute Hannukah themed books for children.
We are not Jewish, but we are trying to instill a sense of understanding and appreciation for all cultures and religions in our young sons, so we are doing a unit on Around the World in December with them. I will make these edible dessert crafts with my boys and will also go to the library to check as many of the books your have shown about Hanukkah, along with any other ones that I can find for my older son. Do you have any book suggestions related to Hanukkah for a seven year old who is a strong reader? I plan to link back to your post when we do our Hanukkah activities.
Again, a huge thank you for sharing. We just feel that it is so important for our sons to have a better understanding of the world and its people so we are really looking forward to learning about Hanukkah this week. Colleen

Thanks for the beautiful presentation of this craft, plus Educational Connections and helpful book annotations. I added a more detailed link to this in a recent post about kosher marshmallows: http://tinyurl.com/674zh4e

Dear Candace, I was surfing the net,& saw your website! I love it. The edible dreidel is such a wonderful idea.. I am going to be making them for my grandchildren. However, since they live in another city, how could I transport them so when I get there, they will look as cute as when I first make them? Thanks for your imput. The happiest of Chanukahs to you & your family! Francine Kenney

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About the Author

Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Working with school districts around the country and some of the most well-known companies in the education industry, Candace creates custom strategies, textbooks, and lesson plans. Her articles have appeared in print and online.

While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on the job training.